Bacon Egg and Swiss Soufflets

“Souffle”. Yes, I know those French words can be a little bit scary. Well, friends, you need not be afraid of this particular souffle… it’s actually SUPER easy. SO easy (& delicious) that I made these 2 days in a row. Yes. Two days in a row! Sunday for breakfast, and Monday for dinner. That’s extremely RARE for me… I have a hard time cooking things twice in one month, let alone twice in 2 days! They. were. that. good.

You might recognize these little beauts from the breakfast menu at Panera Bread. I thoroughly enjoyed one of them at a recent visit and thought – hey, I bet I could re-create these little treats! With a little googling and finding the method used by Todd Wilbur (The Top Secret Restaurant Recipes guy), i swapped out the ingredients and made mine with bacon, onion, and swiss…

The were incredible! And EASY… did I mention how easy they were? 😉 I think these would be great for a brunch party, or bridal/baby shower. They are delicious, look fancier than they actually are, and you can make them ahead and re-heat them! Make different variations using your favoirte quiche ingrediets for reference: Spinach, Mushroom, or even Crab! Whatever floats your boat.

Directions:

Place bacon on a microwave safe plate between paper towels (as in plate, 2-3 paper towels, bacon, topped with another paper towel). Microwave on high 7 minutes. Bacon should be nice and crispy. Allow to cool to touch, then crumble and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 4 oven-safe ramekins with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the croissants out on a floured surface (do not separate into triangles). Pinch all the seams together. Lightly dust the top with more flour. Roll into a large square (the rolling will help seal the seems). Using a pizza wheel (or sharp knife) cut into 4 equal size squares. Carefully lay one square into each of the ramekins, using your fingers to press them into the base (the egdes of the square with fall out of the ramekin). Set aside.

In a microwave safe dish (I like to use my 4 cup pyrex glass measuring cup), Beat 4 of the eggs with the half and half, salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the swiss cheese, the onion, bacon crumbles, and parmesan cheese. Microwave on high in 30 second increments (stirring in bewteen) until a very runny scrambled egg consistency. It took me about 3 1/2-4 times (older microwaves may take longer... just look for the consistency).

Place an equal amount of the egg mixture into each of the ramekins and top with a tablespoon or so of the swiss cheese. Fold the edges of the croissant over on top of the egg mixture (it won't cover the whole thing, you just want the croissants IN the ramekin, not OUT). Beat remaining egg and brush the tops of the croissant and souffle with it. I find it easier to just pour a little in each one and then use a pastry brush to spread it around. Place ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffy.

Serve hot. You may remove them from the ramekins or serve them in them. Either way, these are tasty little treats!

Where was this recipe labor day weekend when I was preparing breakfast with a huge hangover!!! Thanks Kristina definitely going to try this recipe ASAP. It seems perfect for the day after Thanksgiving (cooking for the whole family with a well deserved hangover)! BTW the contents of the glass got my attention they got me thinking that a bellini or a mimosa will be great with this recipe!!!

This time of year we need lots of bake ahead and reheat recipes. Especially when they’re this yummy. And you know ever since I read that hilarious post of yours about buying props, I can’t look at a striped kitchen towel witout laughing. And buying it!

As a mom, I always look for ways to reinvent dishes and make sure my kids think they are a whole new dishes but are actually recycled from leftovers. I wouldn’t want anything go to waste. I think this recipe is perfect…I can use leftover bacon, ham, hotdogs, even veggies! Excited me wants to start cooking!

I hosted a baby shower brunch today and made these for everyone. They loved them! I was intimidated at first by the word souffle, but you convinced me they would be easy so I gave them a try. Glad I did! Thanks for posting 🙂

I just discovered this via Pinterest – it was fabulous! I don’t have ramekins, so I just used my muffin pan. Instead of cutting the dough into 4 squares, I made 12. Otherwise, I did everything exactly the same. My 7 year old declared that these were better than Panera Bread’s version. Thank you so much for sharing this!

I’ve seen a few versions of this recipe and have not yet tried to make them. The eggs in the Panera soufflé are so very light and fluffy (I think that is what makes them so fantastic). I guess I’m surprised you would not have to use a mixer or blender or some other means to whip the eggs into a frenzy! By just using a whisk they will come out just as good?

I have been loving these at Panera and been frustrated when the flavors I like are not available. I’m grateful for a custard recipe that seems doable, although I’m not sure why we should microwave it before putting it in the pastry. I happened to make puff pastry yesterday so I used that for the base. The house is starting to smell good…. breakfast is coming! Thanks!

I didn’t read all the comments, so hopefully I am not repeating this…when these first came out at Panera, they had a turkey sausage and potato soufflé, so I may try that version real soon. Thank you for sharing!